Are you my mother? You are if you insist on having cable TV or the equivalent. I get it: That's been the default way of watching TV for the past 40+ years. But here in the 2020s, streaming is king, with at least half a dozen services aiming to recreate — and perhaps improve on? — the cable experience. DirecTV (formerly DirecTV Stream) is one of them, and one of the best, which is ironic given that it's also still a satellite TV service.
Having tested all the best live-TV streaming services, I consider this the one to beat. Its interface reflects the elegance and intuitiveness of one built on years of development, and its channel selection is superb. Of course, it's expensive, especially if your desire for extra sports content drives you to one of the upper subscription tiers, but there are cheaper options in the form of Genre Packs. Here's my DirecTV review.
Rick Broida/Yahoo
VERDICT: A polished and likable live-TV streamer with one of the best channel guides in the biz. The price is tough to swallow, but you might be happy with one of DirecTV's more affordable Genre Packs.
- Excellent UI and program guide
- Over 90 channels in the base tier, including all major locals
- Robust parental controls
- Unlimited DVR
- Genre Packs offer some compelling budget alternatives (starting at $15)
- Expensive, especially the higher tiers
- Ads appear on paused content
- Mediocre playback controls in Google TV app
What DirecTV's streaming service will cost you
A harsh truth: Most live-TV streaming services are expensive, and DirecTV is no exception. The base tier (here called "Entertainment") costs $89.99 per month and includes around 90 channels. That's on par with what you get from Hulu + Live TV, though that service also includes "regular" Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited.
From there it's a small step up in price to the Choice package, which costs $94.99 and adds a boatload of sports channels: regional networks, ACC, Big Ten, MLB, NBA and more. Finally, DirecTV Ultimate ($124.99) tops things off with still more sports and channels, including NHL, Starz Encore and FX Movie Channel.
Whatever tier you choose, you'll get all five major local networks (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and PBS). DirecTV also has a couple dedicated 4K channels; the rest stream at 720p or 1080p resolution, depending on the source.
If you don't need or can't afford such an expansive (and expensive) channel lineup, DirecTV's Genre Packs let you subscribe to "slices" of the service at lower prices. These standalone subsets — MySports, MyEntertainment, MyNews, MyKids and MyEspanol — incorporate the same interface, video resolution, DVR features and so on, but with a smaller, more targeted channel selection.
Obviously everyone has different priorities and preferences when it comes to live TV, but I think the most interesting Genre Pack is MyEntertainment (not to be confused with the Entertainment tier mentioned above). For $35 monthly you get over 60 channels, including A&E, Bravo, Food Network, FX, History Channel and SyFy. (Curiously, there are several news channels in the mix as well — odd for an "entertainment" bundle.)
But MyEntertainment also includes subscriptions to Hulu, Disney+ and HBO Max with ads. Suddenly DirecTV is competing with the bargain likes of Philo ($33), which has a few more basic-cable channels and HBO Max, but no news, Hulu or Disney+.
For now I'm going to keep the focus on "full" DirecTV, simply noting that while I think MyEntertainment and MyKids (10+ family channels and Disney+ for $20) represent solid values, MyNews (10+ channels for $40) and MySports (20+ channels and ESPN Unlimited for $70) seem overpriced.
DirecTV has the best interface of any live-TV service
I tested DirecTV on a Sansui S55VOUG, which runs the Google TV operating system. But I also wanted to try the Roku version of the DirecTV app, so I plugged in a Roku Ultra streaming device. As I've discovered with other services, different platforms often have slightly different apps — and that was the case here.
For example, in the Google TV version, you can sign into your DirecTV account by scanning an onscreen QR code, then using your phone to complete the process. Love that. But in the Roku app, there's no code, no option to sign in via phone or computer; you have to use the onscreen keyboard and remote, which is slow going to say the least. (Pro tip: I use the Roku app on my phone, because at least then I have access to my phone's keyboard — much faster and easier than using the remote.)
On the other hand, Roku has much better playback controls: When you press the OK button on the remote, a toolbar appears with play/pause, quick-skip, fast-forward/rewind and other options — all familiar and easy to navigate. The Google TV version produces only a timeline, making it confusing to know how to pause, skip, scrub, etc.
In fact, DirecTV is a little weird in this respect (on both platforms). With other services, time-shifting live content (i.e. rewinding or fast-forwarding) is a simple matter of clicking left or right on your remote's direction-pad. Do that here and you'll actually change the channel.
These are minor nitpicks; they don't get in the way of my enjoyment of the service. Indeed, on the whole I really like DirecTV's interface, which is attractive and should feel familiar to anyone accustomed to a traditional cable guide (to say nothing of satellite DirecTV). The Home screen in particular is superb, with a row of recently visited channels up top, a live-stream window below that (so you can quickly see what's on those channels) and then a Continue Watching section.
When you first visit the channel guide, you're given the option to sort it alphabetically or by channel number, the latter a welcome nod to cable days (and especially helpful for finding your local stations). I like that the guide includes full-color channel logos as well; they're easier to recognize at a glance.
Another small but welcome amenity: As you scroll around the channel guide, you're treated to a detailed summary — title, time, description and a thumbnail image — for the selected show. Other live-TV streamers give you either an abbreviated summary or none at all. In addition, it's a snap to add channels to your favorites list for even faster "what's on" browsing.
DirecTV's search feature works well overall, with voice support in both the Google and Roku apps, but I did encounter a minor oddity: Searching "Tom Cruise movies" produced nothing, but simply "Tom Cruise" yielded the expected results. Similarly, "action movies," nada; "action," plenty of hits.
The service also offers unlimited DVR and robust parental controls: You can create individual profiles for different family members and limit viewing based on separate TV, movie and "unrated" content ratings.
If I could change one thing about DirecTV's interface, it would be the full-screen ads that appear whenever you pause live TV or an on-demand movie. That's not uncommon — some other streaming services do likewise — but it's still irritating, especially given the price you're paying. The good news is they don't appear immediately, only if you stay paused for 30 seconds or more.
Should you subscribe to DirecTV?
DirecTV's streaming service is by no means a bargain, but it's priced in line with rivals Fubo, Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV. However, if you don't need every channel under the sun (particularly sports), I highly recommend trying out the MyEntertainment Genre Pack. It is a bargain, especially considering the three big-name streaming services bundled with it.
Either way, you get an extremely good user interface, which I think adds greatly to overall satisfaction. There's a five-day free trial available so you can test the DirecTV waters for yourself.
Update, Dec. 17, 2025: We've modified this review to reflect changes in DirecTV's rates, pricing page (which is less confusing than before) and overall offerings.
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